~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Monday, July 8, 2013

Raw Mini Chocolate Mousse Cakes/"Cheesecakes"... Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Refined Sugar-Free. I get really excited when I try a recipe that checks all the boxes for a great dessert... healthy, easy, no-bake, make-ahead, delicious and guest-worthy. Not many desserts fall in those categories, but this dessert fits them all... and more. It's a fantastic dessert!

Over the last couple of years, I've slowly adapted using some raw ingredients/techniques in some of my recipes.... like using nuts to make a nut milk/flour, using dates/bananas as a sweetener, coconut oil as a fat, flax/chia seeds as a binder, etc... Some of the recipes I've made aren't totally raw, as they are either partially cooked or baked. But a few of the recipes have been amazing... completely raw. And this happens to be one of those recipes. A dessert I find could rival any baked cream/cheese based dessert. It's hard to tell this dessert doesn't use any type of dairy, or cheese, or cream... and you'd never guess it's mainly made with nuts, cacao and dates. Ok, and a few other ingredients... but all good:). Having said all this, I don't totally subscribe to a raw, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, Paleo, etc... type of diet. Of course, if we have an intolerance to a certain type of food ingredient then I eliminate or minimize it. But for the most part, I like to implement all sorts of foods in our diet, from all food groups... be it cooked or raw. Personally, I find a good balance is key. Ah, to get that balance just right... getting off topic here:).

In any case, this dessert happens to be just perfect for the summer months... because it's a no-bake type of dessert. It's also a wonderful make-ahead dessert, as it stays in the freezer beautifully for days... so you can plan ahead and limit any last minute preparations. You can make this dessert as mini individual servings, which looks really nice for a dinner. But if you want, you can also make it as a larger cake... maybe an 8 inch square or round pan... and just cut in small pieces. Toppings are optional, but you can really get creative with so many variations. Hope you enjoy...

Note: While I chose to use half maple syrup and half honey, you can use either or... and you can definitely adjust sweetness to taste.

You will need: makes 12 mini cakes

Crust:

1 cup raw pecans( can use nut of choice)

4 large medjool dates

2 TBS unsweetned finely shredded coconut

1 TBS dark cocoa/raw cacao

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Mousse/"Cheesecake" Filling:

2 cups raw cashew pieces

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 tsp finely grated orange zest(optional, but tasty)

1/3 +2 TBS raw cacao( or cocoa)

1/2 cup coconut oil(warmed to liquid in a bain marie)

pinch of salt

Topping: optional, to taste

chopped cashews/pecans

unsweetened dried coconut

fresh raspberries, mashed

chocolate sauce/ grated chocolate

Directions:

Make Crust:

1. Place nuts, dates, coconut, salt, vanilla in food processor, process till combined and is a rough chop. Add the cacao and pulse till combined to a rough paste. The crust should stick together when pressed.

2. Place about 1 TBS of pecan chocolate crust into each mini pan well. Press down with fingers to firmly place the crust into pan. If you have any remaining crust just divide it evenly among the 12 mini wells.

I made this cake tonight and it was amazing! I was so think and creamy, and to think I didn't add cream, or cream cheese or anything. I was so delicious, and I will be trying this again! Thanks for the recipe.

Hoshi, You are welcome... am so glad you tried the recipe and liked it as much as I did:). I know, it's simply amazing when you think no dairy is used. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I greatly appreciate it!

Pak kei Lai, The molds have removable bottoms... so you just push the bottom up to remove cheesecakes. I suppose you could just use some cupcake liners and it should work that way as well. Sorry for the late answer,... but I hope you enjoyed them:)!

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